Here I Stand
by memorysdaughter
Summary: Set post-2x13. While Skye tries to wake up from the nightmare football game, she receives a visitor - one who might not be real, but one who might ask her to build a snowman. Or to let it go.


**A/N: **While trying to recover from 2x13, thinking about "gifted" people with powers, this idea came to me and demanded to be written. I _love_ "Frozen" and I _love_ "Agents of SHIELD," and this combination seemed like one that could conceivably take place in Skye's scrambled head. I'd love to hear what you think!

Enjoy!

* * *

_Daisy, what have they done to you?_

It was the last thing Skye heard as she saw May and Coulson start running towards her, the last thing she heard as she felt pain ripple up her arms and shoot through her rib cage like fireworks. The darkness took her and she submitted to it.

Then she heard more voices.

_Is this the right thing to do, Coulson? Bringing her in?_

_Skye needs to talk to someone. Someone who understands. And she's the best we've got. You know that._

_It's just dangerous, that's all. The two of them in a room together._

_She can control herself, even if Skye can't. It's why we trust her. It's why we called her._

Skye rolled her head away from the voices, trying to find that soft darkness that could envelop her.

_Your disagreement is noted, Agent May. Now, please escort our visitor into the Cage._

Skye blinked. Was it her imagination, or did she hear the door open?

Must have been her imagination. She closed her eyes and dropped back into the safe womb of unconsciousness.

_If she won't wake, Agent May, I cannot speak with her._

_Be patient. Skye's had a rough couple of days. Can we bring you anything?_

_No, thank you. Your men were more than gracious on the airplane. And I must say, it's an interesting way to travel. I'm not sure I'm fond of it._

_Next time we'll be sure to send a boat. It just seemed like it would take too long. Skye needs you now._

_I understand, Agent May. I'll wait for her to wake._

_Thank you._

And then there was silence, and Skye thought she was alone. She shifted on the bed, feeling pain reverberating through her arms and head. She tried to bring her hands up to her head, but found that they were restrained in some sort of brace. That was the final tug that yanked her from the cocoon of dark safety.

She blinked her way back to consciousness. As her vision cleared, she saw a woman sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the Cage. Her visitor was tall, willowy, pale, with long blond hair held back in a complicated-looking braid. She looked regal in a way Skye couldn't define, though she was wearing dark jeans and a light blue sweater. Her eyes were trained on Skye, soft and caring, but Skye somehow knew that she didn't miss a thing.

"Who… who are you?" Skye slurred. Her mouth felt disconnected from her body.

"They told me you would be a bit drowsy," the woman said. "They had to give you a strong sedative."

Skye raised her hands, trying to comprehend what was happening. Her hands were bound in some sort of brace. "What happened?" she whispered.

The blond woman gave Skye a sad, sympathetic look. "The doctor you were speaking with earlier theorizes that you weren't turning your powers off, you were turning them inside."

"I'm sorry… who did you say you were?"

"I'm… a friend," the woman said. "My name is Elsa."

"And you're here…"

"Because at one time, I was just like you. I had powers, I couldn't understand how to use them, and I was terrified of hurting those I loved. So I tried to shut them off, tried to hide them."

Elsa shifted in her chair, fingering the end of her braid.

"What happened?" Skye asked.

"I lost everyone I cared about," Elsa said softly. "My parents, who encouraged me to hide my powers, died in a boating accident. My sister couldn't understand what I was going through and she turned away from me. I couldn't explain to her what was going on, what I was struggling with, and I almost lost her, too. While I was trying to get control of my powers, my sister was lied to by a callous young man, who decided I was dangerous, and they… _he_… locked me up. Put big metal caps over my hands, tried to break my spirit."

"Your hands," Skye murmured, looking down at her own fingers, bruised beyond recognition and swaddled in some futuristic-looking fabric.

Elsa gave her a small smile, and raised her long, slender fingers. Her hand performed a graceful half-circle in the air, and a bright bolt of light, accompanied by a swirl of snowflakes, rose from her palm. "People were afraid of me. Of what I could do."

Her smile broadened. "Of course, it didn't help that I completely froze the entire kingdom."

With another sweep of her fingers, the snowflakes disappeared, and she turned to face Skye. "But it's a long story."

"You can control it," Skye said, looking at the woman in astonishment.

"_Now_ I can," Elsa said. "Like I said, I froze an entire kingdom. And my sister."

She reached out and brushed her hand against Skye's cheek. For some reason, Skye was expecting Elsa's hands to be cold, but they were warm and fragile, like a hummingbird.

"Oh, sweet girl," Elsa murmured. "I suppose I cannot tell you to not be afraid, for that is useless, and I can tell you are already frightened. And I suppose I cannot tell you that things will get better, for I have no idea of knowing what will occur in your future. But I was brought here to give you some comfort – and for some reason, to be updated on what your Agent Coulson calls 'the index' – so let me see."

She brought her hand down from Skye's cheek and instead wrapped her hands around Skye's fragile fingers. "When you feel as though the ground under you is giving way, put your feet down and say, _Here I stand. Here I stay._ And when no one understands the pain in your heart, the rage and misunderstanding, hold firm to what you do know, and let everything else go. Let go of the past, of failure, of all those expectations you have for yourself that you cannot meet. Let it all go. Break free from the prison of isolation and reach out – people who love you and care about you are out here. They are worth the struggle, just the way _you_ are worth the struggle. Don't turn your back on them."

Skye's breathing picked up and she could feel tears filling her eyes. Around them the Cage began to hum, then vibrate. The cup of water on the table rippled into never-ending circles, _tick-tick-tick_ against the tabletop.

"Skye," Elsa said.

Skye could feel the vibrations rattling through her bruised arms and her battered body, and the pain intensified the shaking.

"Skye," Elsa said, a bit more firmly.

Skye squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't," she whispered. "Just… just ice me."

"I don't do that anymore," Elsa said, and she tightened her grip on Skye's fingers.

Skye couldn't find the breath to tell Elsa that she'd misunderstood. The vibrations were shaking her chest wall and she felt as though she was drowning.

"Say it, Skye," Elsa said, raising her voice to be heard over the pounding of the Bus shaking around them. "Here. I. Stand."

"Here," Skye gasped.

"Here. I. Stand," Elsa repeated.

"Here… I… _stand_," Skye choked out painfully.

The shaking slowed, then stopped. Skye found that she could breathe, but her head was swimming and the Cage was blurry around her.

"It's all right, sweet girl," Elsa whispered. "I won't mind if you sleep."

And though Skye tried to cling to Elsa's hand, trying to cling to the only person who'd talked to her like she was sane, like she was going to figure everything out, she couldn't. Exhausted from the shaking and the pain, she slid back into the darkness.

* * *

"Skye?"

It was Simmons, gently touching her hands. For the second time since her collapse, Skye opened her eyes and blearily looked at the Cage.

"I'm sorry if you're feeling a little drowsy. We had to give you…"

"A sedative, I know."

Simmons looked back at Dr. Garner and May, confused. "All right. And I understand if you're feeling some pain. I ran some tests, and the X-rays showed capillary ruptures and hairline fractures from your clavicle to your fingertips."

"We think you were…" Dr. Garner started.

"Internalizing my powers," Skye said.

Again the other three exchanged confused looks.

"Why are you telling me things I know?" Skye asked. "I just passed out… I didn't have a stroke or anything, did I?"

Simmons turned back to look at Skye. "Who told you those things?"

"Elsa," Skye said. "Obviously."

Dr. Garner knelt down next to the bed. "Who is Elsa, Skye?"

Skye raised her hand to her face and brushed her fingertips against her cheek, feeling the memory of Elsa's touch.

"Skye?" May tried. "What did Elsa tell you?"

"She said I had to let it go," Skye said. "Just… let it go."

As she lowered her hand from her cheek, she saw something she'd missed before – what looked like silvery filigree swirling around the dark fabric of her left-hand brace… the one Elsa had held.

Keenly aware of the eyes on her, and yet somehow not caring at all, Skye brought the cast up to her face again…

… and was unsurprised when that silvery filigree melted against her faintly vibrating skin, a breath of cold that leached down deep into her core and slowed the shaking.

_Here. I. Stand._


End file.
